Washing-machine.



P. WERTS. WASHING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED PEB 15, 1906 PATENTED APR. 2, 1907.

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a m M W PETER WERTS, OF ST. MARYS, OHIO.

WASHING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 2, 1907.

Application filed February 15,1906. Serial No. 301,261.

To 1f/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER Wnnrs, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Marys, in the county of Auglaize and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tashing-Machines and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to machines for washing fabrics; and its object is to provide a machine producing practically the same action as that occurring when clothes are rubbed over an ordinary washboard.

Another object is to provide a machine which will quickly and effectually clean clothes and which will not exert an undue' pressure upon them which would be liable to tear or otherwise injure the articles.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of a receptacle having a depending portion in' which are disposed oppositely arranged resiliently supported rubbing-boards having a plunger interposed therebetween. This plunger is of novel form and may be reciprocated by any desired power, the operation of the plunger serving to draw clothes downward along one of the boards and thence upward along the other board, the operation thus produced being approximately like that produced by manually rubbing the fabrics upon a washboard.

The invention also consists of certain other novel features of construction and combination' of parts, the preferred form whereof will be hereinafter made clearly apparent.

In the accompanying drawings, which are made a part of this application, I have shown the preferred form of my invention.

In said chawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved washing-machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical section therethrough, showing the plunger in elevation. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4, Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a detail view of the collar and the adjoining portion of one of the arms of the plunger.

Referring to the figures by numeralsfof reference, 1 and 2 are side walls supported on base 3 and connected by a U-shaped piece of metal 4, which is fastened to the edges of the side walls 1 and 2, thereby forming a substantially U-shaped receptacle. The ends of the sheet 4 are bent in opposite directions, as shown at 5, and are secured between oppositely-extending arms extending from the walls 1 and 2, and the ends of these arms are connected by cross-strips 7, whereby the U- shaped receptacle is formed with an upper hopper-like end. Standards 8 project 'upward from the walls of the hopper and have a shaft 9 journaled withinthem adapted'to be rotated by means of a gear 10, which meshes with a small gear 11, secured to the shaft. A ily-wheel 12 is also preferably secured to shaft 9, and the gear is adapted to be rotated manually by means of a crank 13, fastened thereto. Suitable bracingstrips 14 connect opposite edges of the side Walls 1 and 2 directly under the hopper of the machine and constitute supports on which said hopper rests.

The shaft 9 is provided with preferably two alining cranks 15,'and on each crank is secured a split ring or collar 16. This collar has a threaded stem 17 projecting from it, one portion of said stem being integral with one half of the collar, While the other portion is integral with the other half, and the two portions are adapted to be placed together, so as to form a complete stem on which the nut 18 may be placed. An arm 19 is formed integral with collar 16 and is split a desired distance from the collar, so that by detaching the nut 18 and by spreading the split portion of the arm the collar can be bent out a suflicient distance to allow the crank to be removed therefrom. The two arms 19 are secured to the upper ends of side strips 20, said strips being connected by parallel inclined slats 21, the edges of which are preferably straight, as shown particularly in Fig. 2. These slats 21 overlap, and their side strips are slidably mounted in grooved guides 22, having pivoted lugs 23 extending therefrom near their upper ends and journaled within the walls 1 and 2. Extending along one side of the plunger A, formed of these slats 21 and their side strips 20, is a rubbingboard B, consisting of parallel strips 24, connected by a corrugated metal sheet 25, the corrugations being preferably normally hori- Zontal. The rubbing-board B extends downward and slightly under the plunger A, and the upper end of the board B has its strips 24 curved backward and resting upon the bottom of the hopper portion of the machine, as shown at 26. Those portions of the strips 24 disposed above the sheet 25 are connected by parallel strips 27, whereby slots are formed forpthefree passage of water. f Springs 28 are ITO secured. tothe strips 24 and bear against-receptacle 4, so as to normally press the rubbing-board B toward ythe plunger A. Another rubbing-board C, consisting of side strips 29 and a corrugated metal sheet 30, is disposed at the other side of thecentral plunger A, and this board preferably bears at its lower end on the bottom 31 of receptacle 4, said lower end being located below the plunger A and substantially in horizontal alinement with the lower end of the other rubbing-board B. Springs 32y are secured to the upper yportions of the strips 29 and bear against the wall ofreceptacle 4, and a wire guard 33 is pivoted at its ends between the upper ends of the strips 29 and normally rests against the sheet 4 and serves to prevent fabrics from passing down in rear of the board C.

It will be understood that the lower end of the rubbing-board C is dished, as shown at 34, so that fabrics can be readily guided upward' between the plunger and board C. A guide-plate 35 is disposed under the board B and curves upward between the lower end of the board Cand the plunger A and serves to direct fabrics from the board B across to the board C without, however, preventing the circulation of water between the two boards.

In using the machine herein described the same is filled with water, and the fabrics to be cleaned are placed within the hopper above the curved portion 26 of the board B. The shaft 9 is then rotated and will cause the reciprocation :of the plunger A. The inclined slats 21 will therefore engage the fabrics and pull them downward between the plunger and the board B, and as the reciprocation of the plunger continues these fabrics will be gradually forced downward over the board B until they come into contact with thev guide-plate 35. This plate will deflect thel fabrics into the dished portion 34 of board C, whereupon they will be engaged by the opposite edges of slats 21 and pulled upward over the board C and into the other portion of the hopper. As the boards B and C are spring-pressed, they will readily give to prevent clogging and resulting injury to the fabrics.

Throughout ti'iepassage of the fabrics down one board and up the other the water is is freet'o circulate through them and between thestrips 27 and also between the lower ends of the boards B and C. The pivoted guard 33 prevents the fabrics from dropping in rear ofthe board C upon reaching the upper end thereof." The plunger A can be readily removed by spreading apart the collars 16, so as to release them from the cranks, and then tilting the plunger and lifting it from between the boards B and C. A machine such as l-herein described will thoroughly clean clothes without injuring them and can be very easily operated. If' desired, a bench can be connected to each side of the machine by placing lugs 35L on the walls 1 and 2, said lugs adapted to be engaged by hooked. arms 36, extending from a bench 37, to which legs 38 are pivoted. Hooks 39 can be utilized for securing the legs in proper relation to the bench, as shown in Figf'l. As also shown in said figure, the bench can be folded and suspended from the machine by placing the hooks 39 in engagement with upper lugs 40, extending from the walls 1 and 2.

that I claim is- 1. In a washing-machine, the combination with a receptacle, of oppositely-disposed spring-pressed rubbing-boards within the receptacle and spaced apart at their lower ends, one of said boards being dished, a guide-plate for directing material from one of the boards into the dished portion of the other board, and a plunger interposed between the boards and above the guide-plate.

2. In a washing-machine, the combination with a receptacle having a hopper opening thereinto, of oppositely disposed springpressed rubbing-boards mounted within the receptacle, a curved extension upon one of the boards projecting into the hopper, oneof the boards being dished at its lower end, 'a guide-plate extending under one of the boards and into the dished portion of the other board, and a plunger interposed between and adapted to move longitudinally of the rubbing-boards.

3. In a washing-machine, the combination with a receptacle; of oppositelydisposed spring-pressed rubbing-boards mounted within the receptacle, a plunger interposed between the boards, means for reciprocating the plunger, and a guard movably connected to the upper end of one of the boards and contacting with a wall of the receptacle.

4. In a washing-machine, the combination with a receptacle having a hopper opening into one end thereof; of oppositely-disposed spring-pressed rubbing-boards mounted within the receptacle, strips at each edge of the rubbing-boards, the strips upon one rubbing-board being curved backward and resting upon the floor of said hopper and parallel strips connecting said curved portions, pivoted guides interposed between the rubbingboards, and a plunger slidably mounted within the guides.

5. In a washing-machine, the combination with a receptacle; of oppositely-disposed s pring-presse d rubbing-bo ards mounted within the receptacle, one of said boards having a dished lower end, a guide-plate extending into said dished end and under the end of the other board, a ivoted guard connected to the upper end of the dished board and contacting with a wall of the receptacle, and a reciprocating plunger interposed between the rubbing-boards.

6. In a washing-machine, the combination IOO with a receptacle having resiliently-mounted 5 name to this specification in the presence of rubbing-boards therein; of pivoted guides intwo subscribing Witnesses. terposed between the boards, Side strips slidably mounted Within the guides, and par- PETER WERTS' {alle} inclined overlapping slats connecting Witnesses: the side strips and constituting a plunger. SARAH J. NOBLE,

In testimony whereof I have signed my J. C. NOBB. 

